Experimental imaging demonstrates real-time lipid droplet motility along microtubules using LD540, highlighting its utility for multicolor live cell microscopy.
Key Points
To develop a lipophilic fluorescent dye capable of spectral separation from conventional green and red fluorophores for multicolor imaging of lipid droplets in fixed and living cells.
Synthesized and characterized LD540, a lipophilic dye derived from the Bodipy fluorophore core.
Evaluated spectral resolution, brightness, specificity, and photostability relative to green and red fluorophores in fixed and living cells.
Conducted two-color live cell fluorescence microscopy to track lipid droplet interactions with the microtubule cytoskeleton.
LD540 spectrally resolved from both green and red fluorophores, permitting simultaneous multicolor fluorescence imaging without emission overlap.
The probe displayed superior photostability, brightness, and specificity compared to earlier lipid droplet dyes, supporting sustained live cell acquisition.
Two-color live imaging directly captured the real-time motility of lipid droplets navigating along microtubules.